The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes

Verdi: LA TRAVIATA

In 1900-01, the season's only performance of
La Traviata starred Nellie Melba. After she left the
company, Marcella Sembrich succeeded to the part, which she had first sung at
the house nearly two decades earlier, during its opening season; she gave one
performance in 1901-02, four in 1902-03 (three of them prior to the
first of the year). Mapleson captured souvenirs of both these Violettas.

Alfredo Germont has loved the courtesan
Violetta Valery from afar, and finally meets her at a party in her house. As
the guests move into the next room to dance, Violetta feels faint: Alfredo
remains with her and pleads his love, but she puts him off. (The cylinder
continues briefly after the end of their duet, though some music is lost from
groove lifts.)

Ah, if that's true, then flee from me! Friendship alone I offer; I know not love, nor could I bear such an heroic love. I am sincere and ingenuous; you must find someone else; you won't find it difficult to forget me then.

ALFREDO
a burden, a burden and a delight, a burden and a delight, a delight to the heart, a delight, a delight to the heart, a delight, a delight to the heart, a burden and a delight, a delight to the heart, ah! ah! a burden and a delight to the heart! Simultaneous singing ends

GASTON (at the door) Well then? What the devil are you doing?

VIOLETTA
We're having a good time!

GASTON
Ha! Ha! That's good! Stay there! (he goes back.)

VIOLETTA
No more talk of love, then! Will you agree to that?

Band 4

[Glackens 67: "Feb. 27"; year deduced from Annals --and from two other Glackens listings for excerpts from the
same performance, which give the year. One of those cylinders, described as
"Splendid! clear all through. Applause and encore beginning 'follie,'"
evidently followed this one, but has vanished; the other, of "Ah fors'è
lui," may be the cylinder from the Mapleson Music Library on Side 12/Band 6,
although its playing speed is different.]

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After Violetta's guests leave, she muses on
the love Alfredo has offered, then rejects it in favor of her endless round of
pleasure. From outside the window, she hears Alfredo singing of love.

Love, love is the heartbeat Simultaneous singing begins of the universe, of the whole universe,

VIOLETTA
Oh! Oh, love! Simultaneous singing ends

ALFREDO mysterious and proud, a burden, a burden and a delight, a burden and a delight, a delight to the heart.

VIOLETTA
Folly! Folly! Ah! Enjoy! Enjoy! Ah, yes! Ever free, I must go madly, from one pleasure to the next, I wish my life to run through the paths of pleasure. Whether day is dawning or dying, always joyful I find it again, to always new delights must fly my thoughts, must fly, must fly, must fly my thoughts, must fly, must fly my thoughts.